President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday reshuffled his cabinet announcing that the changes were necessary for effective service delivery.
He expanded the number of Cabinet Secretaries from 19 to 20. The new cabinet only has five women, falling short of the constitutional requirement that states that women must make up 33 per cent of all elective and nominative positions.
He modelled the changes to fulfill four key objectives: Enhance efficiency of public officers through fast-tracking adoption of technology; Ensure accountability of public officials in discharge of duties, giving more power to accounting officers to have oversight of public expenditure; guarantee accessibility of public officers by reducing size of dockets and review effectiveness of government projects, such that only those projects with direct social economic impacts to the citizens make it through.
In the same vein, the president announced the expansion of state departments from 26 to 41.
“Anti-corruption measures will be implemented through state departments which are headed by Principal Secretaries. A key initiative will be the complete overhaul of procurement departments,” said President Kenyatta.
He also announced that the office of the President will be re-organised and the changes announced in the next two weeks.
The president asked the National Assembly to fast-track the vetting of CSs and PSs to ensure that those nominated to the positions are able to take up the positions as soon as possible.
A good number of the new names in the Principal Secretary dockets are former bosses in the private sector, signaling a major shift from hiring politicians to having corporate bosses on board.
Some of the former CEOs that have been awarded state department dockets include Zeinab Hussein who was the former head of Human Resources at McKinsey, and Chris Kiptoo, former CEO at Trade Mark East Africa.
Other notable figures include Sammy Itemere, former Kenya Commercial Bank Sudan CEO and Paul Maringa Mwangi, who was Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s advisor on large Infrastructure.
CABINET SECRETARIES
Mining – Dan Kazungu
Environment – Prof Judy W Wakhungu
Devolution & Planning – Mwangi Kiunjuri
Water & Irrigation – Eugene Wamalwa
Finance – National Treasury – Henry K Rotich
Sports Arts & Culture – Dr Hassan Wario Arero
Education – Dr Fred Okengo Matiangi
Transport & Infrastructure – James Macharia
Agriculture – Willy Bett
Interior – Gen (Rtd) Joseph K Nkaissery
Foreign Affairs – Amb Amina Mohamed
Public Service Youth & Gender Affairs – Sicily Kanini Kariuki
Tourism – Najib Balala
Energy & Petroleum – Charles Keter
Health – Dr Cleopa Kilonzo Mailu
Labour & EAC Affairs – Phylis J K Kandie
Defence – Amb Dr Raychelle Awuor Omamo
Lands – Prof Jacob T Kaimenyi
Industrialization – Adan Mohamed
ICT – Joe Mucheru
Attorney General – Prof Dr Githu Muigai
PRINCIPAL SECRETARIES
Agriculture- Richard Lesiyampe
Arts, Culture – Joe Okudo
Basic Education – Dr Belio Kipsang
Broadcasting & Telecommunications – Sammy Itemere
Cooperatives – Ali Noor Ismail
Correctional Services – Micah Powon
Defence – Amb Peter K Kaberia
Devolution – Mwanamaka Mabruki
EAC Integration – Betty Chemutai Maina
Energy – Eng Joseph Njoroge
Environment – Charles Sunkuli
Fisheries – Prof Ntiba Micheni
Interior – Eng Karanja Kibicho
Youth and Public Service – Lilian Omollo
Health – Nicholas Muraguri
Housing & Urban Development – Aidah Munano
ICT & Innovation – Victor Kyalo
Industry & Enterprise Development – Julius Korir
Infrastructure – John Musonik
Foreign – Dr Amb Monica Juma
International Trade – Dr Chris Kiptoo
Irrigation – Patrick Nduati Mwangi
Labour – Khadija Kassachoom
Lands – Mariam El Maawy
Livestock – Dr Andrew K Tuimur
Maritime Commerce – Nancy Karigithu
Mining – Dr Mohammed Ibrahim Mahmud
National Treasury – Kamau Thugge
National Water Services – Fred Sigor
Natural Resources – Dr Margaret Mwakima
Petroleum – Andrew Kamau Nganga
Planning & Statistics – Saitoti Torome
Public Works – Dr Paul Maringa Mwangi
Social Security & Services – Susan Mochache
Special Programmes – Josepheta Mukobe
Sports Development – Richard Ekai
Tourism – Fatuma Hersi
Transport – Wilson Nyakera Irungu
University (Higher) Education – Prof Colleta Suda
Vocational & Technical Training – Dr Dinah Jerotich Mwinzi
Gender Affairs – Zeinab W Hussein
